


The Path of Despair

by Chameleon777



Series: Star Trek 2009 Alternate Series [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 17:15:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10881345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chameleon777/pseuds/Chameleon777
Summary: What if Nero had been too strong for the Enterprise and had managed to cripple the Earth and Starfleet's finest in one blow? This is an alternate ending to Star Trek 2009/Before Time and it shows how a simple Starfleet crew struggles to survive with the Earth a barren wasteland with no home but Enterprise to rely on.





	1. Chapter 1

2258 – Starfleet Academy

“Graduation’s in several hours, Jim,” Leonard said, grumpier than usual because he and Arianne had just broken up for the final time and she was now elsewhere. “Why are you even in here?”

Jim, who had slipped to their dorm to get some shut eye before he had to face what they had left of Starfleet and their class, sighed as he flopped down on the bed, “I’m just having a nap, Bones.”

“Do I need to hustle you over to Medical?” Leonard asked worriedly. “You look kind of beat.”

Jim sighed and closed his eyes, “The last few weeks have been crazy,” he said in a tired voice. “I…”

“I can get you a hypo,” Leonard offered grumpily. “It’s not like I have anything else to do.”

Jim, however, was asleep and found himself dreaming what would have happened if he hadn’t succeeded or if Nero was smarter. What would have happened to all of them if Nero had won?  
****  
April 2258 – Narada

“Nero, order your men to disable the drill, or I—“

The blow was quick and heavy. Jim found himself knocked to the floor and quickly restrained by strong hands. His eyes met those of Nero’s and fear immediately dominated the person that was James Kirk.

“You’re a fool,” Nero hissed menacingly as he pulled a knife from his coat. “You’re going to fail and I’m going to take you and your life as a reminder. Your worthless self now belongs to me.”

Jim shook his head, “Over my dead body,” he hissed in a tone of vengeance. “I belong to no one.”

Nero easily kick-flipped Jim on to his stomach and touched the tip of the knife to Jim’s spine, “This knife contains a poison that induces fast and painful paralysis,” he hissed as he prepared to stab Jim. “Your world will be destroyed and Spock will be left alone, deprived of your friendship at his doing, at his will.”

“You will be stopped,” Jim gasped, struggling to fight back. “Spock will succeed and you will fail.”

Nero cackled and stroked Jim’s spine with the blade, “You wish, Kirk,” he hissed. “Victory to me.”

With a roar, Nero plunged the knife into Jim’s back and Jim let out a scream that faded into silence.  
*****  
On the Enterprise, Arianne came into the transporter room and saw Scotty working at the controls with a strained expression on his face. “Any sign of Jim and Spock yet, Monty?” she asked, very worried.

“Nay lassie,” Scotty replied in a worried voice. “Tis well past the time they should have been back.”

Arianne was silent for a moment and then Leonard suddenly came into the room, “The Bridge is reporting that Jim’s signal is untraceable and Captain Pike has not been located yet,” he stated in a worried tone. “Sensors have also detected a small ship containing the green-blooded hobgoblin..."

“What did I tell you about calling Spock that, Leonard?” Arianne said in a stern voice.

Leonard sighed and ignored the look Scotty was giving him, “Sorry,” he replied. “I’m just worried.”

“And you think I’m not?” Arianne replied as she gently patted his hand. “This plan was a bad idea.”

The ship suddenly rocked, sending Arianne flying into the transporter console, “Attention Enterprise, this is Captain Nero,” a grave voice suddenly spoke over the intercom. “My ship has disabled your weapons, your communications relay, and I have taken your precious Captain Kirk as a prisoner. As a show of my power before I destroy your world, I will perform one final act of hope deprivation.”

Without warning, the ship rocked again and Arianne suddenly gasped in pain and dematerialized.

“Arianne!” Leonard shouted, his heart pounding wildly. “Scotty, try and get her back!”

Before Scotty could try however, a light began flashing on the transporter console, “Aye got a transport signal coming in fast,” he said in an anxious voice. “Maybe it’s Spock and Kirk. Energizing now.”

Scotty quickly worked the controls and Leonard was horrified to see that Spock alone materialized.

“Where’s Jim and Captain Pike?” Leonard asked, his voice full of concern. “Spock, what happened?”

Spock, however, had no sufficient reply and instead, he turned and looked blankly at the transporter pad. He had failed spectacularly and now both Jim and Captain Pike were prisoners of Nero.  
******  
“You need time to learn proper respect,” Ayel hissed as he dragged a battered Arianne into the filthy evacuation room of the Narada and over to a filth encrusted escape pod, which he quickly opened.

Since her hands were bound, Arianne was powerless to stop Ayel from shoving her roughly into the pod and sealing her in with a lock of the door. She heard a hatch open and felt the pod being thrust outward.

Thoughts of her father suffering indescribable torture crossed Arianne’s mind as she felt the pod floating through space. A sudden explosion caused the pod to quake and send Arianne to the floor of it.

The last thing Arianne remembered was sudden, deafening cracking sounds from outside the pod. She could see the Earth from the pod as the two got farther apart and everything was darkening.

Two ships above her engaged in a vicious firefight; the Narada and the Enterprise and it looked as if the Enterprise was losing badly. Arianne then knew in her heart that Jim had failed and all was lost.

Suddenly, a blast of weapons fire hit the pod and it careened off into the blackness of deep space.


	2. Scattered Stars

September 2258

Earth

The sky was gray and light snow fell around Jim as he slowly limped down the barren street where downtown San Francisco used to be before Nero’s drill had drastically altered the ecosystem and with it, the weather patterns. His makeshift walking stick that he designed to compensate for his failing eyesight swept across the ground with the intent of alerting Jim to any barriers he might come across that could cause him to drop the bag of groceries he had gotten from the only store for 100 miles. Shopkeepers had died and many buildings had wasted away and it was now constantly cold.

Pain shot through Jim’s back as he suddenly turned and headed towards one of the dilapidated buildings near where Starfleet Academy used to be. Through what little vision he had, he could see that the door was ajar and that Captain Pike was sitting at the table, silently putting something together.

“I fixed your glasses, Jim,” Captain Pike said calmly without looking up as Jim entered the house.

Jim sighed as he set the bag of groceries on the table and hunched over, “My back,” he whimpered, gripping the table with his worn fingers. “My eyes are getting worse and soon, I’ll be totally blind.”

Captain Pike looked up from his work with a frown on his face as Jim straightened up and used his walking stick to feel his way to one of the beds, “I finished the comm device,” he said quietly. “If I can send a distress code out and it’s picked up, maybe we can get someone…anyone to come help us.”

“Or the Narada pops back from the Laurentian System and Nero finishes us off,” Jim replied as he sat down on the bed he had managed to put together for himself from debris. “It’s snowing again…”

Jim suddenly broke off in a massive coughing fit that prompted him to start wheezing, “Crap,” Captain Pike said, quickly wheeling his makeshift wheelchair over to Jim. “Just hold on a minute, Jim.”

Making a fist, Captain Pike pounded hard on Jim’s back until the wheezing stopped, “You should use that phaser under your pillow to finish me off and then go find help,” Jim breathed. “I can’t keep doing…”

Captain Pike sighed and pulled Jim into a hug, unsurprised when Jim dissolved into tears because it had been a very rough few months. Nero had tortured Jim severely before dumping them both on what was left of the Earth and taking off to the Laurentian System to finish off what was left of Starfleet.  
****  
USS Enterprise

A quiet buzzer echoed through Spock’s quarters, but the bed was empty and Spock was already awake and silently dressing for the day. He had to check on the Vulcan groups clustered throughout the ship and have breakfast with his father before going to the Bridge to start his Captain duties.

Spock only briefly looked in the mirror before turning away, as all he would see was a pair of haunted eyes that were haunted from loss. He had taken upon himself the role of Captain unwillingly, but he had had no other choice. The Enterprise was now a home for many and that home needed order.

Once he was as presentable as he could get, Spock silently left his quarters with his PADD in hand full of things he needed to work through that day. The walk to the Mess Hall was short and unsurprisingly, Leonard was there and sitting at a corner table alone, silently brooding and drinking coffee while reading an old fashioned Alcoholics Anonymous book from his small collection of real books.

“Doctor McCoy,” Spock said tonelessly, not surprised when Leonard silently looked up at him.  
Leonard sighed, swallowing hard because he knew that he had strict orders to remain civil on duty even if he was heartbroken over the loss of two friends, “Yes?” he asked in a quiet, tired voice.

“Your desire to consume alcohol has increased,” Spock spoke quietly. “Would meditation help?”

Leonard scoffed, “I honestly tried to ask the Vulcans for help, but they told me that I’m too distracted and unteachable,” he replied gruffly. “I’m really trying to get over losing two close friends and…”

“I will speak to my father about assisting you,” Spock spoke tonelessly. “I do understand.”

Leonard shrugged and returned to his book, knowing that even if he gave into the desire to drink, there wasn’t any alcohol left on board because it had been recycled to increase replicator rations. Spock silently moved away to the table where he and his father had shared breakfast daily, unsurprised to see that Sarek was already there and silently helping himself to a bowl of strawberries with a fork.

“Father,” Spock replied tonelessly. “I request that you assist Doctor McCoy with meditation.”

Sarek raised an eyebrow, “Doctor McCoy is emotionally compromised over the loss of James Kirk and over the loss of Arianne,” he reasoned tonelessly. “I would be willing if he were to ask for help.”

“He has tried,” Spock replied tonelessly. “The elders have told him he is unteachable.”

Before Sarek could reply, the intercom blipped, “Captain Spock to Bridge,” a voice spoke.

Spock sighed, took a strawberry from Sarek’s bowl, and bit into it as he left the Mess Hall.  
****  
The Bridge was heavily damaged and quiet, as all of the officers were tired and had nothing to say to one another. Nyota, however, had hit a signal that seemed unusual, but perfectly legitimate.

“Why was I called to the Bridge?” Spock asked as he strode out from the turbolift and immediately noticed Nyota working anxiously at the Communications station. “Lieutenant, what is it?”

Nyota frowned and pointed to a blip on the screen, “I’m picking up a faint distress signal from Delta Vega,” she replied in a worried, confused voice. “I’ve tried coming Mister Scott about it, but…”

“Fascinating,” Spock replied tonelessly as he went to his chair and sat down, immediately noticing that Pavel and Hikaru were in their designated spots early. “Mister Chekov, set a course for Delta Vega.”

Hikaru whispered to Pavel, “Is there a problem?” Spock asked, observing Hikaru’s worried look.

“Nyet, keptin,” Pavel responded quietly, his hands shaking as he inputted commands. “Course set.”

Spock raised an eyebrow, “Engage,” he replied tonelessly, tapping the conn. “Mister Scott?”

“Aye,” Scotty’s tired voice came over the conn. “What do ye want, Captain Spock?”

Spock sighed, “A signal is originating from Delta Vega,” he replied. “Do you have knowledge of it?”

“I’m coming,” Scotty replied with a sigh, prompting Spock to suddenly feel deep confusion.  
*****  
Delta Vega

Keenser grunted, prompting Arianne, who was now nearly three months pregnant and beginning to show, to look up from the computer console she was working at, “What?” she asked tiredly.

“I believe he is telling you that it is time to eat food and rest,” Ambassador Spock, who had rescued Arianne from the pod three months earlier and had done his best to help her be comfortable, said in a gravelly voice as he approached the table where Arianne worked. “You and your child could use both.”

Arianne nodded and sighed heavily, saving her work before she stood up and followed both Keenser and the elderly Ambassador over to a table where meals had been shared, “I have made a pudding from the rations to escape the monotony,” Ambassador Sarek said, offering her a bowl. “It is quite good.”

“Thank you,” Arianne replied in a quiet voice as she ate. “If it weren’t for you, we’d be dead…”

Ambassador Spock nodded and sighed, “You miss your thy’la,” he observed in a quiet voice.

“Leonard didn’t even know,” Arianne replied quietly, quickly finishing her food. “And Jim’s gone…”

Keenser grunted and offered her a waterpack, which she took and consumed gratefully, “If you wish to rest now, I can take my turn watching over the outpost,” Ambassador Sarek offered gently.

Nodding, Arianne reached into her pocket and extracted a phaser that she had found after arriving at the outpost and had shared with the Ambassador for the last few months while her pregnancy developed. She handed it to him and then moved from the table to the small bed she had been given to rest whenever she needed it.

Keenser automatically sat at the foot of the bed as if guarding them, “Thank you, Keenser,” Arianne spoke, wondering if he could understand her at all or was just comforted by the tone of her voice.

As Arianne lay down to rest, a loud klaxon suddenly filled the outpost and Ambassador Spock ran over to the large communications console, “There is a ship in the system,” he reported in a gravelly voice.

“A ship?” Arianne asked in a concerned voice as she slowly sat up. “Don’t tell me Nero’s back.”

Ambassador Spock shook his head, “It is a Starfleet vessel,” he replied, tapping the controls.

**Author's Note:**

> Please read and review!


End file.
